Development and UX from Michael Mahemoff. Maker of Player FM. Previously: Google, BT, O'Reilly author.

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Why my Nexus is fantastic and why my next phone won’t be a Nexus

My Nexus 5 is great. It runs pure Android, it’s super-fast with Kitkat, screen is great, and it was great value as a SIM-only purchase. I can be confident it will always be running the latest Android too, which means not just more toys but improved security. And it’s almost a necessity as an Android app publisher to own a Nexus device, for testing purposes (pure Android is the starting point for all other devices/OSs to deviate from, so Nexus with stock Android is the least deviation from the sum total of all things Android).

So why will my next phone not be a Nexus?

One word: tethering. Many people claim they can make a day without charging their phone. I can too, with the right settings. But not if I want to tether. Tethering drains battery hard, not surprising that turning your phone into a modem/router would do that. Not that Nexus battery is bad at all, it’s probably about average for a high-end. But forget about lasting a day when tethering.

The thing is, you see these products like “Kindle+3G”, “iPad with data plan”, and think why bother. I have true-unlimited 4G for ~ £20/month (thanks Three) and a phone capable of sharing it with any device I damn please. As well as Kindle e-reader and tablets, I’m sometimes testing other phones and devices which either aren’t phones (e.g. iPod touch) or are cheapo PAYG phones without a data plan. Sometimes others need to grab a connection or I need to work on PC too. All of these things become full-fledged smartphones through the magic of tethering.

Similarly, if I go abroad and get a local SIM, that’s another time I really want to tether. I can bypass silly hotel internet altogether by getting a local SIM and sharing the connection.

Bottom line, I want to tether without having to worry my phone won’t last the morning. So a phone without replaceable battery doesn’t cut it. I seriously miss being able to carry a battery in my pocket and another in my bag, pretty much guaranteeing there will always be charge. Sure there are various portable ways to charge on the go, I know them well and use them all the time. It’s not the same as having portable batteries. AKA Sod’s law ensures you won’t have it when you need it.

I only wish the manufacturers would embrace it and provide front-loading slots instead of forcing me to rip off a fragile plastic lid every day. And support hot-swapping (which IIRC Nexus S did, but nothing since).

So my next phone is likely to be a Samsung or HTC, one with portable battery and plenty of charge. Or a Nexus if it does indeed support battery changing. But it seems the priority is understandably on keeping the product simple and as cheap as possible. That means a single battery for life.

2 thoughts on Why my Nexus is fantastic and why my next phone won’t be a Nexus

I use one of these. A portable battery that works with any phone:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0063AAIRG
Let’s you have the best of both worlds. Also, you’ll get much better battery life if you tether with usb instead of wifi, maybe you already do this though!

I recently got one of these portable battery packs with in-built QI wireless charging. It means I don’t have to mess around with cables, and can leave my phone charging (whilst tethering) when sat on the train or left in a coat pocket or bag. £20 for a battery that’s 3 times the size of the one inside my Nexus4 ‘aint bad!

G’Day

Welcome to Michael Mahemoff's blog, soapboxing on software and the web since 2004. I'm presently using HTML5 and the web to make podcasts easier to share, play, and discover at Player FM. I've previously worked at Google and Osmosoft, and built the Ajax Patterns wiki and corresponding book, "Ajax Design Patterns" (O'Reilly 2006).
For avoidance of doubt, I'm not a female, nor ever have been to my knowledge. The title of this blog alludes to English As She Is Spoke, a book so profoundly flawed it reminded me of the maturity of the software industry when this blog began in 2004. I believe the industry has become more sophisticated since then, particularly the importance of UX.
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